North Queensland residents woke on Wednesday to what 'looks like a war zone' and are assessing the extensive damage left behind by destructive Cyclone Debbie, with emergency services fearing there will be 'more injuries if not deaths'.

The category four storm struck on Tuesday, bringing gale-force wind gusts of up to 260km/h, record breaking rainfall of more than 200mm in an hour, and surging tides threatening widespread floods.

Devastating photos show buildings with roofs ripped off - with extreme damage to their structural integrity and homes inundated with water.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says there have been few reports of injuries in battered north Queensland communities but many are still without communications so that situation could change.

'I've just been advised that all the roads have been cut off around Bowen, Airlie Beach, Proserpine,' the premier told ABC television on Wednesday.

'At the moment, not many reports of injury. But, having said that, we still know that a lot of people have lost communications, so we want to make sure that everyone is safe there.'

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Bradley Mitchell inspects the damage to his uncle's boat at Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach

Damage is seen in the town of Bowen in Queensland on Wednesday after Cyclone Debbie devastated the region

'My yard and the neighbours shed which is now in my backyard,' a north Queensland resident captioned this photo taken on Tuesday

Mr Mitchell assesses the damage to his uncle's boat after it smashed against the bank at Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach

On one stretch of sand at Airlie Beach three battered yachts lay on their sides. Homes were damaged and a number of roofs were seen lying in yards.

At the port of Shute Harbour, 10km from Airlie Beach, some 30 vessels were blown up on the rocks and pontoons were damaged, according to Whitsunday Regional Council mayor Andrew Willcox.

There's significant structural damage at Proserpine, southwest of Airlie Beach, and after an early morning drive through Bowen, further north, Mr Willcox lamented the damage to homes and businesses.

'It looks like a war zone,' he said.

In what could be the first of many rescue missions, authorities have reached two men stranded on a grounded vessel off Whitsunday Island.

Shipwrecks at the Whitsundays are pictured on Wednesday in the aftermath of the cyclone

A dining room in the Whitsundays is in ruins from Cyclone Debbie's destruction

Damage in the town of Bowen in Queensland is seen on Wednesday after Cyclone Debbie struck

A boat has smashed against Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach on Wednesday

Outdoor chairs and tables were seen floating in a motel pool at Airlie Beach, south of Townsville, on Tuesday

Boats are seen smashed against a bank at Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach on Wednesday

A boat is pictured washed up on the bank at Shute Harbour after the Category Four cyclone battered the north Queensland coastline

The men were found safe and well and have been taken to Shute Harbour.

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said the primary challenge on Wednesday was to reach as many locations as possible.

'There is obviously isolated communities and houses, farm houses in this area. It's going to be a big day.'

The premier said Debbie had caused vast losses, particularly in the farming and tourism sectors, with resorts on the Whitsunday Islands suffering severe damage.

There's substantial, structural damage on Hamilton Island and also damage on Daydream Island, where about 200 guests and 50 to 60 staff are safe but running out of water.

Getting water to the island was a priority, the premier said.

A plane flipped at Bowen Airport as Queenslanders wake to inspect the damage

Boats are smashed against the rocks at the marina at Hamilton Island on Wednesday after Cyclone Debbie

Fallen trees are pictured at Hamilton Island on Wednesday as people inspect the damage

Mr Mitchell inspects the damage to his uncle's boat on Wednesday after the cyclone

Flooding is pictured at Quarry Hill rugby ground in Mackay in Queensland

A boat is seen smashed against the bank at Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach on Wednesday

Debris is pictured strewn across the bank of Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach on Wednesday

'We are yet to make contact with Hayman Island,' she said.

'Our islands, our Whitsunday islands, are some of the most beautiful, pristine islands in the world that people come from all around the world to visit. They have been rebuilt before, and I know they can do it again.'

She said the economic losses were sobering, including for the agricultural sector.

'It is going to be huge. We have a lot of horticultural products up there, it's the sugarcane belt. We will have a big hit to the tourism industry.'

Amid the maelstrom, the premier revealed a baby had been safely born in the Whitsundays.

'You know, out of all of this, to see a little miracle, I think brings a smile to a lot of faces,' she said, without providing further details.

About 63,000 homes remain without power on Wednesday morning (destruction at Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach pictured)

A local inspects damage to a boat terminal at Shute Harbour on Wednesday morning

Severe damage to a boat terminal is seen at Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach

Dave Mcinnerney inspects the damage to his motel at Shute Harbour on Wednesday

Boats are pictured washed ashore as locals assess the damage at Airlie Beach in Queensland

Fallen trees are pictured at Hamilton Island on Wednesday off the northern Queensland coast

Authorities have so far received 600 requests for help but expect that number climb into the thousands as the day rolls on.

About 63,000 properties remain without power.

Australian Defence Force soldiers are being mobilised to aid a clean up that's expected to last for months.

Debbie is now a rain depression that's continuing to dump heavy rain and produce strong winds across parts of the state.

Damage to shops is seen at Airlie Beach in Queensland's north on Wednesday in the aftermath of the storm

Roofs have been pulled off apartment buildings at Hamilton Island

Trees have been destroyed and roofs have been pulled torn off apartment buildings at Hamilton Island

A home in Proserpine is pictured on Tuesday midway through Cyclone Debbie

Damage in the town of Bowen is pictured on Wednesday, a day after the Category Four cyclone struck

Cyclone Debbie's 'destructive core' has finally struck the north coast of Queensland, making landfall between Bowen and Airlie Beach (pictured being battered by gale-force winds) just after midday

Roofs and awnings from buildings at Shute Harbour, not far from Airlie Beach, pictured after Cyclone Debbie tore through

Authorities are closely watching the Pioneer River in Mackay, which is rising and could break its banks later in the day.

But it's not expected to reach nine metres - the level at which homes would be flooded.

The Fitzroy River at Rockhampton is also being monitored as water flows into the connecting Connors and Isaac rivers.

'The system is starting to move south, bringing a lot of rain with it and that's heading towards the Rockhampton area now. I'd expect those catchments are going to take a bit of a deluge today,' meteorologist Adam Blazak said.

A man clears water from a business in Airlie Beach on Wednesday in the aftermath of the storm

Cars negotiate tree debris on the road between Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour on Wednesday

Boats are pictured washed ashore at Airlie Beach in Queensland's north on Wednesday

A luxury yacht lays destroyed and half-submerged as torrents of raging water begin flooding parts of Mackay

The cyclone left North Queensland streets showered in debris while large parts of coastal land collapsed into the sea.

People looked on in disbelief on Wednesday morning as they surveyed the damage at Shute Harbour at Airlie Beach, the country's second biggest ferry terminal.

Piers have been destroyed and pushed up onto the bank, while sails attached to the main building have been torn to shreds.

Boat owner James Wighton says he's never seen such 'devastation'.

Joel Medil (left) removes belongings from his rental home after the asbestos roof was ripped off during Cyclone Debbie

Mr Medil was told to leave the property in Bowen, Queensland, after the asbestos roof ripped off

Mr Medil is pictured collecting his belongings after he was told to evacuate the Bowen rental home

Parts of land on the coastline including jetties lost their structural integrity in the storm and collapsed into the water

'This is millions of dollars worth of infrastructure,' he told AAP.

Mr Wighton also woke to the news that his uninsured trimaran was destroyed by the category 4 cyclone as it lashed the north Queensland coast on Tuesday.

While the worst of the cyclone was over, Queensland Police Service Commissioner Ian Stewart said the state had not seen the last of its devastation.

A fibro home in Airlie Beach loses a chunk of wall as winds reaching speeds of 275km/h whip through the region

Mackay going under: Roads in low-lying areas of Mackay are starting to flood, with fears the cyclone could strike just after high tide

'We are going to get lots of reports of damage and sadly I think we will also receive more reports of injuries, if not deaths,' he said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

The Insurance Council of Australia declared Cyclone Debbie a 'catastrophe' on Tuesday, and predicted costs would run into the billions.

Cyclone Debbie's damage bill is expected to exceed that of Cyclone Yasi which tore through Queensland's north in 2011 and caused about $1.5 billion worth of damage.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also warned residents the cyclone was not over yet, despite the fact it had been downgraded.

She urged residents in affected areas not to be complacent in the storm's wake and described the cyclone as a 'one in a hundred year event'.

'What we have seen is rainfall in excess of 210 millimetres that has fallen within the past hour. This is equivalent to a one in a hundred year event... we are seeing unprecedented levels of rainfall in that area,' she said on Tuesday.

The State Emergency Service was bombarded with hundreds of calls for assistance on Tuesday, but said it could not venture out due to the dangerous conditions.

Locals are assessing the damage and have found boats smashed against the bank at Shute Harbour

Sturdy trees in Bowen buckle under the pressure of wind gusts above 260km/h in the suburb of Bowen as the 'destructive core' of Cyclone Debbie passes through

Reports of injury surfaced on Tuesday when a man was struck by a falling wall in Proserpine, in the Whitsunday Region.

He was rushed to hospital in an unknown condition.

A 68-year-old man went missing in Proserpine in the horrific conditions, but was found by emergency services on Wednesday morning.

Queensland's tourism chief fears images of Cyclone Debbie's destruction will lead to a significant drop-off in tourists visiting the entire state.

Daniel Gschwind has warned there's a strong chance travellers will cancel their bookings, not only to the cyclone-ravaged north, but across the state.

'When the images of disasters, strong winds, uprooted trees go around the world and around Australia, some people incorrectly assume that all of Queensland is shut,' the Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive told AAP.

'We don't want a second wave of damage of people unnecessarily cancelling their holidays.'

Images from Reef View Hotel on Hamilton Island show trees and lightweight buggy vehicles (the main form of transport on the island) strewn across a road as the cyclone passed through at a painstakingly slow rate

Thick foam coated the footpath at Mackay as Cyclone Debbie left a trail of destruction in the town

Incredible satellite images released by the Bureau of Meteorology reveal the 1000 kilometre diameter of Cyclone Debbie

Debbie, which hit the mainland north of Airlie Beach at midday on Tuesday, brought Bowen, Airlie Beach, Proserpine, the Whitsundays and other far north communities to a standstill as everyone bunkered down for the category four cyclone.

Mr Gschwind said the Whitsunday region, which includes Hayman and Hamilton islands, generates about $2 million a day in tourism and about $700 million a year, and a disaster of this magnitude would have a significant impact.

He said it was important to get the message out that most parts of Queensland were open for business.

Mr Gschwind said even so, local hotel and tourism operators were resilient and they made it their priority to keep all visitors safe.

He said it was too early to know what damage the Whitsunday Islands, which were battered by wind gusts of more than 250km/h, have suffered.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described the devastating cyclone a 'one in a hundred year event'

Residents on Hamilton Island have reported the eyewall - the most destructive part of the cyclone which comes before the calm eye - damaged buildings and brought torrential rain.

Mr Gshwind said hotels, holiday parks and other tourism operators in north Queensland were among the best at handling disasters.

He said in Mackay, the tourism information centre reached out to backpackers to make sure all had a safe place to wait out the cyclone.

Highlighting the destructive winds, Daydream Island Resort said there was significant damage to the resort's jetty and pontoon, and extensive damage to vegetation across the island, with many trees uprooted.

The roof of a spa and a boardwalk section had been lifted away by the wind but no guests or staff had been injured.

'Whilst conditions are still dangerous outside, we aren't able to ascertain the full extent of damage,' the hotel said in a statement.

A boat has been beached on the bank at Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach in Cyclone Debbie

An enormous fig tree in Mackay is uprooted and flung onto the road as Cyclone Debbie closes in on the low-lying city

By Tuesday afternoon, the storm weakened to a Category 3, and by Tuesday night it was downgraded to a Category 2 before reaching Collinsville in Queensland's Whitsunday Region.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said 34,000 homes had been left without power.

'The federal and Queensland governments have prepared well for the onset of this cyclone. We have activated the disaster response plan,' he said.

Mr Turnbull told parliament the Australian Defence Force had set up a joint task force and was ready to deploy assets to the affected areas.

Australian Defence Force personnel together with the SES, the Royal Navy, navy hospital helicopters and the army were all on stand by to provide emergency assistance, Mr Turnbull said.

'This one time we were on our honeymoon and Ham built me a bunker. Going to need a whole bottle of champas once this is all over,' a woman captioned this photo

'New plan, hallway bunker. Our doors feel like they're going to blow off #CycloneDebbie' a woman wrote alongside this photo

Families have taken to building makeshift bunkers in their homes as they shelter from the cyclone as it tears through

Make-shift bunkers inside homes are being created by desperate home-owners and other people who chose not to evacuate the area

Families have taken to building makeshift bunkers in their homes and sleep in bathtubs to shelter from the cyclone.

Mother Kara Buckby, from Airlie Beach, made a bunker in her bathroom for her and her family, filling it with pillows, blankets and soft toys.

A holiday maker who found herself at the centre of the destruction described the cyclone as a war-zone.

'The winds are insane. I can't imagine it getting any worse than this. All the trees are destroyed, it looks like World War III mate,' she told Nine News.

In Mackay the roads and front yards of some homes were covered in a thick foam as the storm surges set in

Enormous waves crash down at Bucasia Beach in the Mackay region, as emergency services prepare for possible widespread flooding as the storm intensifies into Tuesday afternoon

The latest cyclone tracking map (released at midday) shows how Airlie Beach is now in the 'destructive core' of the cyclon

Floods: Residents in Airlie Beach were the first to report flooding at their homes as the cyclone closed in on the coastline

A tree is fallen across a road at Airlie Beach - a small resort town which locals say has been 'ripped to shreds' by the cyclone

A man was filmed jumping into the dangerous, choppy waters at Airlie Beach on a boogie board on Tuesday.

In a white singlet and shorts, carrying the green boogie board under his arm, the man was seen diving into the water during a live cross on Channel Nine's Today show.

Authorities warned residents to steer clear of the water during the cyclone due to the extremely dangerous conditions.

Ms Palaszczuk condemned the dangerous behaviour of surfers and drivers on the roads.

'I cannot believe this sort of behaviour. We heard from the police commissioner not to do those sorts of things, to stay off the roads and stay in your home,' she told ABC News.

'To go out there into the treacherous surf is simply irresponsible. Honestly, why do you want to put your own life at risk and put the lives of others at risk?'

Brigadier Chris Field, who played a key role in the 2011 flood reconstruction in Queensland, has been appointed recovery co-ordinator.

'There's 1000 people deployed or on stand-by to assist, and we thank them for their courage, commitment and selfless service,' Mr Turnbull said.

A window exploded out of this home in Bowen and left a pile of debris on the tiles beneath

A palm tree narrowly missed a motel in Airlie Beach after it collapsed onto a fence on Tuesday

The destructive core of the storm cell battered the Whitsunday Islands for five straight hours before reaching Airlie Beach (pictured) just after midday

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll reminded Queenslanders there was little that could be done during the peak of the storm

The impact of rough surf in the North Queensland coastal city of Mackay, which is bracing for the impact of Cyclone Debbie

The eye of the Category Four storm slowly closed in on Australia's east coast after wreaking havoc on the Whitsundays

An Airlie Beach resident seeking refuge from the cyclone in her home takes a photo of a fallen tree through her windows

A tree was ripped from the ground in Airlie Beach on Tuesday as the eye of the storm centred on the Whitsundays

Earlier on Tuesday, Whitsunday Councillor Jan Clifford called the cyclone 'one mean, big b***h' as she took shelter in her Airlie Beach home - contending with power cuts, snapped trees and chunks of debris flying down streets.

Ominous satellite images and footage from the International Space Station showed the immensity of Debbie as seen from outer space, with swirling grey clouds stretching 1000 kilometres closing in on Australia's east coast.

The cyclone is the worst to hit Queensland since Yasi six years ago, and Debbie's might was on full display on Hamilton Island, where wind gusts of 250km/h shook cyclone-proof buildings.

'It's just like freight trains coming through, left and right,' one stranded worker, identified only as Charlie, told ABC radio on Tuesday, when Debbie was still 75km away.

'It's a green carpet outside the trees are just going wild'.

The helplessness felt by Whitsunday Mayor Andrew Wilcox was evident on Tuesday morning as he monitored damage reports as they started flowing in.

'She's slowed down out there so she can just keep smashing us,' he said.

'What would be ideal is for her to either, one, go away, but if not come straight across quite quickly. But, yeah, Debbie isn't playing the game here.'

The state government announced on Tuesday that almost 400 schools and child centres had been shut.

Wind gusts of 230-260km/h have been recorded on Hamilton Island (pictured) as the cyclone slowly moves through Bowen

Terrified residents bunkered down in mainland towns of Proserpine and Airlie Beach have had to deal with falling trees

Yachts moored at Airlie Beach were seen slamming into a breakwater wall as destructive winds whipped across the water

Path of destruction: Cyclone Debbie reached Queensland's north coast just after midday - and isn't expected to pass any time soon

An incredible image taken from outer space shows Cyclone Debbie hurtling towards the east coast of Australia

Professor John Ginger, who is the Research Director in the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University, said most north Queensland buildings erected post-1985 were designed to withstand high winds as they adhered to standards introduced after Cyclone Tracy destroyed Darwin in 1974.

But Prof Ginger said the long-lasting winds in a slow-moving system put more stress on vulnerable flashings and fixtures like gutters and downpipes, which could easily be torn from buildings.

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll reminded Queenslanders that when the brunt of the cyclone hit the north coast, there was little emergency services could do for them.

'Remember: when the winds pick up, we can't be out there. If you call us during this period of time, we can't respond,' Ms Carroll tweeted on Monday night.

An enormous tree lays uprooted and sprawled across a main road in Mackay, in north Queensland

Experts warned the sluggish advance of Cyclone Debbie meant destructive winds would batter homes for a longer period

Tropical Cyclone Debbie intensified to a category 4 storm late on Monday night, and is on track to make landfall by 2pm

Pure chaos: Extreme rain rates are occurring over the Queensland coastline - with up to 194 mm in an hour at Strathdickie

About 25,000 residents of Mackay were urged to evacuate on Monday afternoon as wild weather engulfed the city (pictured)

Authorities warned Queenslanders to stay indoors on Tuesday - but one Airlie resident was pictured driving a car just hours before the cyclone was due to hit

Local children play in the safety of a temporary cyclone shelter in the town of Ayr in far North Queensland on Monday night

Ernie Woods, 82, sits in the safety of a temporary cyclone shelter in Ayr as Cyclone Debbie bears down on the Queensland town

Residents and tourists on Hamilton and Hayman Islands were warned to stay indoors as the eye of Cyclone Debbie passed over at 11.30am.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Mark Roche said the calm of the eye often brought a false sense of security.

'Just because the cyclone passes, you may see beautiful blue skies, but the truth is the back end of the cyclone may not have come through,' he said.

'This could be many hours, so listen to the radio and we will advise people when it's clear.'

Residents on Hamilton Island have reported that the eye wall - the most destructive part of the cyclone which comes before the calm eye - has damaged buildings and brought torrential rain.

Wind gusts of 230-260km/h were recorded on the island, as the cyclone made its way towards the north Queensland coast.

Mr Roche said huge wind gusts had damaged buildings and ripped trees from the ground.

Residents of Bowen seek shelter amid warnings the town will be severely impacted by Cyclone Debbie

At Sarina, fire fighters had to brave appalling conditions after a blaze took hold in a two-storey home. The home was destroyed.

The bureau warned some areas could see about half a metre of rain associated with the cyclone, and Mr Stewart said inland communities must understand the danger.

He said Debbie was expected to sweep around over Clermont, southwest of Mackay, down through Rockhampton and possibly out over Hervey Bay.

'We hope of course the destructive winds have gone by then and it will simply be a low, but we have got to keep a close eye on where the cyclone is going,' he said, adding some cyclones had in the past headed back out to sea, where they reintensified and posed a second threat'.

Electricity was lost in some communities, and heavy rain lashed the north Queensland coast as early as Monday.

At 8am on Tuesday, Debbie was about 95km to the east-north-east of Bowen and drawing nearer to Hamilton Island, moving west southwest at 9km/h.

Residents of Bowen (pictured) were placed in lockdown on Monday evening and were told not to move

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to stay calm and predicted the state's encounter with the huge tropical storm would be 'tough'

As well as cyclone damage, authorities also planned for flooding as Debbie crossed the coast and degenerated into a rain depression.

Up to half a metre, or 500mm of rain, was predicted in some parts of north Queensland.

Major flooding was considered likely in some catchments from Tuesday. Flood watches were put in place for for the Ross, Bohle and Black Rivers, Bluewater Creek, Haughton, Lower Burdekin, Don, Proserpine and Pioneer rivers.

As the rain moves across the interior, catchments that could see from flooding form Wednesday include the Fitzroy, upper Burdekin and Belyando, upper Flinders, upper Thomson and upper Barcoo rivers.

Trees were uprooted throughout Mackay (pictured) on Monday afternoon as wild weather took hold

A branch from a large tree has been snapped as residents brace themselves for the storm expected to hit on Tuesday

Storm clouds gather in the town of Ayr in far North Queensland as Cyclone Debbie approaches

The calm before the storm: The sunset in Townsville on Monday before Cyclone Debbie was due to make landfall

Workmen put up plywood panels to protect a shop on the Strand in Townsville as residents prepare for Cyclone Debbie

Strand Hotel manager John McBride is seen taping up the hotels doors and windows in preparation for Cyclone Debbie

Protective plywood panels placed over glass windows at an ice cream shop on the Strand in Townsville

A service closure notice at the Magnetic Island ferry terminal in preparation for Cyclone Debbie

Sandbags and plastic sheeting placed along the front of the 'C bar' restaurant on the Strand in Townsville

The streets in Townsville were abandoned on Monday after repeated warnings from police to move to safer ground

Despite some refusing to evacuate their homes, Townsville residents appear to be moving to safer ground, with photos showing empty shops and abandoned streets (pictured)

Clothes shops in the town centre were packed with sandbags in preparation for the massive weather event

Whitsunday mayor Andrew Willcox is urging residents to seek shelter with family or friends at higher ground. Pictured is police telling this resident to leave his home

'We are asking people that can move out of those low-lying areas that are depicted on the local maps on the council website to move now,' he said.

'Don't wait until tomorrow because you will not be able to move probably past midnight tonight.'

The tide is also expected to peak at 3.2 metres in Bowen, with fears of a storm surge of three to four metres above that level.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned it would likely be the most severe storm to hit the state since 2011's Cyclone Yasi.

Townsville airport has been closed, as have more than 100 north Queensland schools.

Local farmers were also told to brace for potential devastation to crops, with the Bowen area accounting for more than 90 per cent of Australian tomatoes and 95 per cent of capsicums for consumption in September and October.

Only a few cars were seen on the Townsville streets on Monday as residents escaped to seek safer ground

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (left) said Cyclone Debbie was going to be a 'monster cyclone'

Some residents appeared to be prepared for the major storm event and a fence in Bowen (pictured) had 'Cyclone Debbie Bring It On,' scrawled across it

Builder Graham Wilson (pictured) posed in front of his message on Monday morning

As the strong winds and rain began to pummel the Whitsundays, on Queensland's northeast coast, one resident shared a photo of the 'first sign of damage' after the roof of her neighbour's garden shed flew off

Queensland residents have taken to social media to show videos of the damaging winds sweeping through their suburbs

Ayr resident Ernie Woods, 82, (pictured) sought shelter at an evacuation centre in the town as the cyclone developed

Everyone pitched in on Monday to fill up sandbags for their homes and businesses in Bowen

In Hamilton Island, residents used cables to secure the fences to sturdy tree trunks lining the streets

In the Whitsundays (pictured) the rain and winds set in on Monday ahead of the cyclone

This Bowan resident urged the town to 'do your best' as the major weather event started showing signs of moving across Queensland's coast

Windows are boarded up with plywood for protection at a funeral home ahead of the cyclone

Louisa Ghee (left), her sister Kylie (centre) and their family took shelter at an evacuation centre in the town of Ayr on Monday

TROPICAL CYCLONE CATEGORY SYSTEM

CATEGORY 5 (severe tropical cyclone)

Extremely dangerous with widespread destruction.

A Category 5 cyclone's strongest winds are VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with typical gusts over open flat land of more than 280 km/h.

These winds correspond to the highest category on the Beaufort scale, Beaufort 12 (Hurricane).

'Some who have decided to stay, we are going back today and telling them they need to move on,' he said.

'If you are in a storm surge zone and you are directed to move, you need to move'.

As the strong winds and rain began to pummel the Whitsundays, on Queensland's northeast coast, on Monday one resident shared a photo of the 'first sign of damage' after the roof of her neighbour's garden shed flew off.

In Bowen, one resident urged their neighbours to 'do your best' after spray painting a huge message across their property fence.

'Cyclone Debbie, bring it on. Bowen is not a p**** town. Do the best you got,' it read.